Kent Douglas, a member of the Maple Leafs during the team's glory days of the 1960s, died yesterday, succumbing to cancer at his home in Wasaga Beach.

Kent Douglas, a member of the Maple Leafs during the team's glory days of the 1960s, died yesterday, succumbing to cancer at his home in Wasaga Beach.

He was 73.

Born Feb.6, 1936, in Cobalt, Ont., Douglas won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with the Leafs in 1962-63. He won the Stanley Cup with the Leafs that year and assisted on the Cup-winning goal.

He was with the Leafs until 1967, but got his name engraved on the Cup only the one time even though the team won it two more times with him on the club. He was sent to the minors just before the playoffs in 1964 and 1967.

Douglas played two seasons with the Kitchener Canucks of the OHL before turning pro with the Springfield Indians in 1956. He slogged it out in the minors – being named the best defenceman in the AHL in the 1961-62 season – until the Leafs called him up in 1962 at age 27.

He played 428 NHL games, mostly with the Leafs, but also played for the Oakland Seals and the Detroit Red Wings plus a further 60 in the WHA with the New York Raiders. He retired following the 1975-76 season with the AHL Baltimore Clippers, where he was player/co-coach.

Douglas was a close friend of Carl Brewer and helped Brewer's fight to recover surplus pension money from the NHL in a 1992 legal battle.

Douglas is survived by his 92-year-old mother, Freda Douglas of North Bay, partner Bonnie Kowbuz, sons Mark and Steven and ex-wife Jacqueline.

Kevin McGran

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